1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular, to a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing and displaying messages. Still more particularly, the present invention provides an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for enhancements in instant messaging systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Instant messaging is an online chat medium, allowing users to communicate with each other and collaborate in real-time over a network data processing system. Instant messaging is commonly used over the Internet. Instant messaging applications monitor and report the status of users that have established each other as online contacts. This information is typically presented to a user in a window. Instant messaging applications also are often used by users conducting business. By utilizing instant messaging, business users can view each other's availability and initiate a text conversation with colleagues or customers when a desired contact becomes available. Millions of users communicate using instant messaging systems every day. With instant messaging becoming an important part of a both personal and business communications, functionality and usability enhancements are important to the continued success of this type of communication tool.
Legacy instant messaging applications, however, include flaws which should be corrected for these applications to continue to be popular as a communications mechanism. One flaw recognized by the present invention is that a limited facility is present in existing instant messaging applications for managing and processing stored chat files. Virtually all legacy chat systems only have a default folder in which all of the recorded chat sessions are dropped into this folder. A user wishing to go back and view a particular chat session is required to go back and browse through many unrelated recorded chat sessions stored in this folder. These chat sessions are stored in files, which may be viewed based on date and time within the common folder. Having to browse through all of these files makes the present mechanism for storing chat sessions inefficient and unorganized. To locate a particular chat session, a user with the presently available legacy instant messaging systems is required to know where the default chat session folder is located. After identifying the location, the user must use a file viewing program to locate the folder and search for the desired chat session. These steps are inefficient and cumbersome for identifying a stored session file.
Further, as the number of chat sessions stored in message files become more voluminous, identifying and locating a particular chat session or thread becomes cumbersome with all of these files being located in a single default folder. In some cases, this folder may contain hundreds of threads or chat sessions. A chat session, as used herein, includes all conversation that occurs after an initiation of a conversation between two individuals or among a group of individuals. A thread is a subset of the chat session in which a user has deemed it necessary to split this portion of the chat session apart from the rest of the session.
Another shortfall recognized by the present invention is an inability of a user to determine which replies belong to which questions or comments when multiple communications threads are occurring. Currently, multiple conversation threads must be viewed and managed through a single window pane in legacy instant messaging systems. For example, a user may be utilizing an instant messaging session to talk to the user's manager about a particular contract and when the user remembers he needs to ask a completely unrelated question, the user is forced to insert this unrelated question into the current conversation thread in the window or wait until the current thread has completed. If, by waiting for the current thread to complete, the user may not remember the current topic.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing communications in instant messaging systems.